JJ Redick holds excessive hopes for Bronny James.
In a latest interview with Sirius XM NBA Radio, the Lakers’ new head coach drew an intriguing participant comparability, likening LeBron James’ son, the No.55 decide within the 2024 NBA Draft, to Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder wing Lu Dort.
“We had been on the Canada-USA basketball exhibition recreation. And I turned to one in every of our assistant coaches in the course of the recreation. And I stated, ‘I feel Lu Dort simply single handedly broke up the eighth possession of the sport.’ Like, his impression. You may’t get into your offense. Generally, the shot clock winds down due to his ball stress. He actually blows up total performs due to that stress. And I actually consider this. Bronny will finally be that man,” Redick stated.
Bronny, 19, is listed at 6-foot-2 and 210 kilos, barely smaller than the 25-year-old Dort, listed 6-foot-4 and 220 kilos.
Dort, who made his NBA debut with Oklahoma Metropolis in December 2019, carved out a spot within the league by his defensive tenacity.
Redick highlighted Bronny’s defensive instincts, suggesting he might comply with the same path to Dort within the professionals.
“It’s important to be a man that’s a ball hawk always,” Redick stated. “We’re going to develop his shot. We’re going to develop his ball expertise. He’s already bought an incredible really feel. He has a extremely good, instinctive nature on the defensive finish.”
On offense, nevertheless, the capturing guard has struggled. He appeared in three Summer time League video games with the Lakers, all of which they misplaced. He’s 6-for-26 from the sphere and 0-for-12 from past the arc, tallying a complete of 15 factors.
“I feel you simply need to let go of the outcomes and simply benefit from the means of being within the NBA,” Redick stated, in line with NBA.com. “He’s clearly case research No.1. We’re going to speculate closely in him. He’s bought to fall in love with that course of and let go of outcomes.”
Because the son of an NBA legend, Bronny beforehand stated he has skilled loads of negativity after being chosen by the Lakers within the second spherical, however stated it’s nothing new.
“I’ve been coping with stuff like this my entire life so it’s nothing totally different. It’s extra amplified for positive, however I’ll get by it,” stated Bronny, who signed a four-year, $7.9 million contract. “I’ve already seen it on social media and the web, discuss how I won’t deserve a possibility.”
Nevertheless, the youthful James talked about that he goals to show himself and develop into a beneficial asset for Los Angeles.
“I really feel like I’ve been given the chance to showcase what I can actually do as a result of I wasn’t on condition that a lot of a possibility at SC,” Bronny, who suffered a cardiac arrest final summer season, added.
Bronny averaged 4.8 factors and a couple of.1 assists per recreation at USC.
Redick, who was named head coach on June 24, is a agency believer in Bronny’s capabilities and future function on the crew, denying any rumors of nepotism.
“Bronny has earned this. Bronny talks about his onerous work. Bronny has earned this by onerous, onerous work,” Redick stated on the crew’s introductory press convention.
